1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to motor vehicle safety. More particularly, it relates to increasing awareness of a motor vehicle's brake lights.
The driver of a vehicle is often confronted with numerous distracting stimuli. Most motor vehicles and trailer vehicles are required to have red brake lights, which light up when a driver depresses the brake pedal of the vehicle to signal to other drivers that a vehicle is slowing or stopping. The brake lights remain illuminated so long as the brake pedal is depressed. Most motor vehicles and trailer vehicles are also required to have red tail lights, which are intended to make the back end of the vehicle visible to other drivers. The tail lights remain illuminated when the driver switches on his headlights.
Sometimes drivers have difficulty distinguishing the red brake lights from the red tail lights on a vehicle that is slowing or stopping. This difficulty is especially present at night, when the red tail lights of a vehicle are always illuminated. This failure to notice brake lights results in accidents and injury due to "rear end" collisions. It is therefore desirable to have some method by which the brake light warning of the slowing of a vehicle can be accentuated.
The present invention serves that purpose. When activated by the vehicle's existing brake light switch, the present invention causes the brake lights to flash several times before normal continuous illumination occurs. It produces such an effect each time the brakes are applied. By drawing attention to a car that is slowing down, the present invention provides the driver of a car behind the slowing vehicle a greater period of time to begin to slow down or stop and avoids "rear end" collisions. The present invention can be employed on a variety of vehicles, such as cars, trailers or snow mobiles. The present invention may also be employed in other lighting and warning systems where a flashing sequence is useful to signal changing conditions.
It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention to provide a programmed combined flasher and continuous lighting means for use with vehicle brake light systems and other warning or lighting systems.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method of producing a foot-operated lighting sequence.
It is a further object to provide for a foot-activated flashing system module that can be inserted into existing brake light systems as a complete unit without altering substantially the existing brake light circuitry. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a means to produce an intermittent control signal for a predetermined number of cycles of two alternating states followed by a continuous signal all triggered by a single step voltage event.
2. Description of Prior Art
Applicants are aware of no present devices that provide for flashing of brake lights prior to illumination. Currently, brake lights illuminate when the operator of the vehicle depresses the brake pedal and extinguish when the pedal is released. Current applicants are presently aware of a simple brake switch/brake light arrangement with no flashing capability. In addition, the prior art contains various examples of flasher mechanisms that are not adapted for use with a motor vehicle's brake switch and do not have a continuous illumination mode. The present invention uses a unique circuit module to combine a brake switch and light flasher circuit so as to provide for a combined flasher and continuous light system without altering existing brake light circuitry.